Feast

My second full day in Rome began with some difficulty. It seems that jet lag has struck and I found it downright impossible to get out of bed this morning. I forced myself to get up around 12, but am convinced that had I allowed myself I would have slept until 3 or 4 this afternoon. I am determined, though, to get past jet lag so that I can find a schedule that works here.

Since I was unable to awake at an acceptable hour, I missed breakfast. This was ok because I wasn't really very hungry. I am sure this is in part because I found myself famished at 2:30am and wolfed down some Chex mix I had left. Instead of breakfast I made a delicious cup of espresso and began to get some work done. Finally around 2pm my stomach began to tell me that I was hungry.

Lynda and I journeyed to the kitchen to make our own lunch for the first time. What ensued was a feast of fresh-tasty-goodness. We pulled out fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, bread, salami, cantaloupe, olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, more cheese and went to town. It's amazing the difference in quality of produce here vs. AZ or PA. The melon and tomatoes were as sweet as candy and the cheese was pure heaven. As I feasted on the smorgasbord I couldn't but help grin at the fact that I was in Italy enjoying this and thought about how much my family, mom and dad in particular, would have enjoyed a meal such as this.

We will venture out again tonight after the sun settles lower in the sky to explore more of our neighborhood. There is supposed to be a fantastic gelataria somewhere nearby and I am determined to discover it. Each time we step outside of the convent's grounds we discover something new and I am eager to see what awaits us around the corner.